Containers and more specifically metallic beverage containers are typically manufactured by interconnecting a beverage container end closure to the neck of a beverage container body. In some applications, an end closure may be interconnected by double seaming on both a top side and a bottom side of a container body. More frequently, however, a beverage container end closure is interconnected on a top end of a beverage container body which has been drawn and ironed from a flat sheet of blank material such as aluminum. The end closure is typically “double seamed” to the neck of the container to form an airtight seal. It is generally known to provide end closures for beverage containers which utilize an opening device for selectively opening a portion of the end closure. For example, pull tabs or stay on tabs (“SOT”) generally include a nose and a tail portion and a rivet which interconnects the pull tab to the upper surface of the end closure. Upon opening, the SOT is retained on the end closure to prevent littering.
Conventional beverage container end closures with SOT's generally suffer from low, inconsistent, and/or uneven flow rates as the contents in the container are poured due to the fact that these end closures provide a single opening area of predetermined size. Conventional container end closures are generally designed for pouring the container contents, with little or no consideration given to inward air flow needed for the volume exchange that facilitates smooth and consistent pouring. Furthermore, conventional end closure openings do not contemplate a method and device for at least partially resealing a container once it has been scored or opened, nor are they suitable for storing foodstuffs which require a larger opening for removal.
The following references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties: U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,547 to Herr et al., which discloses a tamper-evident closure with an inner sealing disk and an outer closure, U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,819 to Salamone, which discloses a container with a screw cap wherein the container is opened by screwing the cap downwardly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,315 to Valyi et al., which discloses a container with an inner closure and central portion covering the access opening of the container, U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,554 to Edwards, which discloses a lid with hook members surrounding a mouth of a container for fracturing the lid, U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,432 to Gentile, which discloses a rotatable lid for severing the dispensing portion of a cylindrical container. WO 2007/054568 to Parker discloses a substantially cylindrical beverage container with a pre-scored line and an opening device and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Known devices, however, fail to disclose or contemplate various novel features of the present invention as described herein.